Elden Ring Director Alex Garland Struggles Against The Same Video Game Boss You Did

Video game developer/publisher FromSoftware has actively shaped our expectations surrounding the Soulslike genre over the decades. It's lovingly crafted every game that has come to define the genre — from "Dark Souls" to "Bloodborne" — all while championing evocative environmental storytelling where you, the player, consciously decide on the type of experience you're in for. FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki warrants no introduction, as he has been a part of this journey every step of the way, having also directed the critically acclaimed "Elden Ring" (which has since spawned the brilliant "Shadow of the Erdtree" DLC and a multiplayer spin-off called "Elden Ring Nightreign").

As with any Soulslike worth its salt, "Elden Ring" compels the player to commit to the experience with sincerity while experimenting with builds that help make the combat a little less frustrating. If you get too impatient or aggressive with your playstyle, this callousness catches up to you pretty soon, humbling you before you can even celebrate small wins. However, this exciting, tumultuous journey is tinged with equal amounts of catharsis when you're finally able to lock down on a playstyle and defeat a boss that had intimidated you from the get-go. After hours of exploring the Lands Between, you realize that this is not the kind of game that you can button-mash or brute-force your way through. Instead, a little patience and creativity, along with a healthy amount of the "get good" mindset, can help bear sweet fruit along the way.

As you might've already heard, FromSoftware is now partnering with distributor A24 to adapt "Elden Ring" into a film that's being helmed by none other than Alex Garland ("Ex Machina," "Annihilation"). That's not all: "A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R. R. Martin (who helped flesh out the original game's worldbuilding) is also serving as a producer, which should help ensure the movie remains true to the DNA of its source material to a great extent. Meanwhile, it seems that Garland (who's no stranger to video game adaptations) has been struggling with the same boss that most "Elden Ring" players do on their first run of the base game, which is none other than — you guessed it — Malenia, Blade of Miquella.

Mastering a playstyle that complements your build is an integral aspect of any Soulslike experience, but there are, of course, other ways to push forward. In an interview ahead of the release of the highly anticipated "28 Years Later" (which he wrote), Garland told IGN that he still struggles with the Malenia boss fight, and implements a trial-and-error playstyle that he had incorporated since his experience with the "Dark Souls" series:

"It's Malenia who's the tough one. I'm now on my seventh playthrough of that game. I've leveled up, I've got lots of juice, and a cool sword, and stuff like that, and I just throw myself at them again, and again, and again, and again. That was the technique I learned with 'Dark Souls.' It's not that you get better, it's more like monkeys and typewriters. You just keep doing it, and eventually, one day, they're dead."

Now, Malenia's boss fight mechanics are undoubtedly trickier than those of most bosses throughout the base game, as she regains lost HP with every attack she lands, even if you manage to block them successfully. Moreover, she's fast, able to close the distance when you least expect it, triggering signature moves that can be devastating if you fail to anticipate the patterns after a few tries. As is standard for most bosses worth watching out for, she has two phases, with the second one (Goddess of Rot) beginning with a special attack that will one-shot the player if you don't dodge it or get some distance. Although that's easier said than done, a combination of studying her attack patterns, relying on enemy stagger, and attacking during her wind-up animations can easily tip the battle in your favor (provided you have a decently leveled build).

Garland followed up by saying that Starscourge Radahn is "really easy," as he's found the trick is to rely on summons that erode half of Radahn's health bar, allowing you to persistently attack and finish the boss. While this is a sound strategy, this does not work in the "Erdtree" DLC, where Radahn returns as Promised Consort Radahn, demanding a fight so intense and unpredictable that it can make any grown adult (me) cry. However, this is the agony and ecstasy of playing a Soulslike that doesn't coddle its playerbase, making the process of locking in and fighting such a powerful boss well worth your time. Once you figure out that Radahn's high defense and lack of elemental weakness can be overcome with a combination of build tweaks and patient strategy, the fight challenging a god-like entity can grant you an adrenaline rush like no other.